Basketball season is here! For people like me, we’ve been
waiting for it to start, suffering through the week trying to make it to the
football games on the weekends. But now there is something worthwhile to watch
throughout the week, plus more to watch on the weekends too.
Last season was the season of Lebron. He dominated the
league from start to finish and finally got his first ring. The scary thing is
that they may be even better this season after adding plenty of veteran help to
the bench, including Ray Allen.
But they weren’t the only team making moves in the
offseason. Out west, the Lakers added Dwight Howard and Steve Nash making them
a favorite as well. In the Howard deal the Nuggets picked up A.I. (the good
one, not the shot chucking retired one). The Clippers didn’t add any big names,
but they added some bench help and role players, plus get Billups back, and
they will be a threat now as well. Oklahoma City shocked everyone by trading
James Harden to the Rockets. Long term it was probably a good move but I think
it will hurt them significantly this year.
In the East, Brooklyn made the biggest moves by trading for
Joe Johnson, acquiring Gerald Wallace, and resigning their big men. The Knicks
parted with Jeremy Lin but did pick up veteran Jason Kidd. The Celtics lost Ray
Allen but acquired Jason Terry to fill in. And Philly could become a real
player now that they got Bynum in that Howard deal.
It should be a fantastic season of hoops, but also a tough
one to predict. I think there is so much depth across the league that any team
on a given night can beat any other. Even the teams we think will be in last
place have the talent to make a playoff push if things go right this year.
Nonetheless were here to analyze and give projections, and Greg and I give it a
go below:
Projected Eastern Conference Standings
Andrew:
1. Miami Heat
2. Indiana Pacers
3. Boston Celtics
4. New York Knicks
5. Brooklyn Nets
6. Atlanta Hawks
7. Philadelphia 76ers
8. Chicago Bulls
9. Cleveland Cavaliers
10. Milwaukee Bucks
11. Washington Wizards
12. Detroit Pistons
13. Toronto Raptors
14. Charlotte Bobcats
15. Orlando Magic
Greg:
1. Miami Heat
2. Boston Celtics
3. Chicago Bulls
4. Brooklyn Nets
5. Indiana Pacers
6. Washington Wizards
7. Philadelphia 76ers
8. Atlanta Hawks
9. New York Knicks
10. Toronto Raptors
11. Detroit Pistons
12. Milwaukee Bucks
13. Cleveland Cavaliers
14. Charlotte Bobcats
15.
Orlando Magic
Projected
Western Conference Standings
Andrew:
1. San Antonio Spurs
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Los Angeles Lakers
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Dallas Mavericks
6. Denver Nuggets
7. Memphis Grizzlies
8. Minnesota Timberwolves
9. Utah Jazz
10. Golden State Warriors
11. Portland Trailblazers
12. Sacramento Kings
13. Houston Rockets
14. Phoenix Suns
15. New Orleans Hornets
Greg:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. Los Angeles Lakers
3. San Antonio Spurs
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Minnesota Timberwolves
6. Memphis Grizzlies
7. Denver Nuggets
8. Dallas Mavericks
9. Golden State Warriors
10. Utah Jazz
11. Houston Rockets
12. Portland Trailblazers
13. Sacramento Kings
14. New Orleans Hornets
15.
Phoenix Suns
And
the Champions Will Be…
Andrew: Lakers
over Heat in 6
Greg: Heat
over Lakers in 6
By: The Sports Guys